Vice President Mike Pence's wife says military spouses are the "backbone" of military families.

She announced Thursday during a speech at the Army's Fort Carson in Colorado that she wants to help make sure military spouses know where to get the support and services they need.

Mrs. Pence says a big issue spouses have told her about is getting a new professional license to continue in their careers every time they relocate, which can happen every few years.

She pointed out that spouses are now eligible to be reimbursed for relicensing costs under a new policy in a defense bill that President Donald Trump recently signed into law.

Mrs. Pence says she moved often because of her husband's job and understands "a little bit" what military spouses go through.

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6 a.m.

Being married to the vice president has its privileges.

Vice President Mike Pence's wife, Karen Pence, says one is that "now people take my phone calls."

She is using her new cachet these days to call around on behalf of military spouses. She wants to be their voice and help them overcome the challenges that come with being wed to an active-duty service member.

One such issue is getting states to accept out-of-state professional licenses instead of making military spouses get new licenses every time they have to relocate.

Mrs. Pence says the issue can affect military readiness. She plans to address it in a speech Thursday at Fort Carson, Colorado, that will mark the beginning of a campaign to elevate, encourage and thank military spouses.